Savior

by A. King Bradley

  40. WELL I’LL BE…

  CHARLIE:

  TANGO AND I HAD WORKED TOGETHER ON A LOT OF JOBS in the past, but this one definitely took the cake. The whole Stranger business had turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought it would be when Tango first brought me on board. As far as pay was concerned, I wasn’t pulling down as much scratch as my buddy Tango, but my share was definitely nothing to sneeze at.

  Before then, I had never exclusively committed my talents to just one outfit, but between how much fun I was having and how much money I was makin’, I didn’t see a reason to go anywhere else any time soon. Heck, I had gotten so used to wearing that red Comedy mask on my face that half the time I didn’t even realize I had it on. I always thought it was funny how the more you do something, the more numb you become to it.

  I suppose that’s why I didn’t notice him at first. I had done so much surveillance without ever getting’ any action that sometimes I just plumb forgot to actually look.

  You planning on sitting there in the shadows all night, Hoss? I thought to myself as I slowly placed my favorite black cowboy hat on my head and continued to stare at the computer screen in front of me. I kept my back turned and pretended not to notice when a dark figure dressed in all-black emerged from the shadows behind me.

  I slid my right hand down to the .44 magnum revolver holstered on my right hip as the intruder stealthily made his way across the dimly lit control room.

  Not one for jaw jackin’ I see, I thought as the cold steel on my hip called out to my hand. My trigger finger was home at last as I swiftly pulled the pistol from my hip and squeezed the trigger, ripping a bullet over my shoulder without even bothering to look behind me. The room fell completely dark as the bullet shattered the light above us.

  I whipped around and brandished my steel just as the mysterious figure pounced at me. I smiled as I recognized the Spade painted over his mask.

  “Well I’ll be... Nice to see ya again, Hoss,” I chimed as I squeezed the trigger.